The invention relates to a system for racking pool balls on a pool table. More particularly, the invention relates to a racking system that allows players to tightly arrange pool balls in a compact formation on the pool table.
Pool games are extremely popular with people of all ages. Most games require that pool balls (often fifteen for playing "eight ball", but sometimes nine for the game of "nine ball") be arranged into a triangular or a diamond shaped pattern. The balls are arranged in a manner such that the apex of the formed diamond is located near a pre-marked spot on the pool table, which serves as a marker for placing the racked balls.
The pool balls must be arranged in a tight and compact formation to ensure that when it is first "broken", the balls do not deviate from their predictable lines of travel merely because of a poor racking of the pool balls. Unfortunately, there is no existing system that provides pool players with an easy mechanism for obtaining a tight formation of the desired shape on the pool table.
To rack the balls, most people use a triangular pool rack that holds the balls in its interior portion. The rack is removed once the balls are organized in a formation that roughly resembles the desired shape. Unfortunately, the size of the pool balls often lacks uniformity, which makes it difficult to properly rack the balls into a tight formation. As a result, the first player to break the rack of balls is at a disadvantage in that the improperly racked balls do not respond as would be anticipated from a properly racked set of pool balls.
Other devices have been proposed for the purpose of automatically racking pool balls or assisting therewith. Unfortunately, all of these devices operate by engaging the balls "en masse" in an attempt to press them together.
While these various devices attempt to provide simplified means for properly racking pool balls, none of these guarantee a tight and even formation. Additionally, these devices have a complicated structure and are expensive in construction, yet still fail to provide the desired results. Therefore, while these prior art units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereinafter.